COVID-19 preventive measures showing an unintended decline in infectious diseases in Taiwan

Cooper J Galvin; Yu-Chuan Jack Li; Shwetambara Malwade; Shabbir Syed-Abdul

doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.062

COVID-19 preventive measures showing an unintended decline in infectious diseases in Taiwan

Int J Infect Dis. 2020 Sep:98:18-20. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.062. Epub 2020 Jun 23.

Authors

Cooper J Galvin¹, Yu-Chuan Jack Li², Shwetambara Malwade³, Shabbir Syed-Abdul⁴

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: coopgalvin@gmail.com.
² Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; International Center for Health Information Technology (ICHIT), College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dermatology, Taipei Medical University, Wan-Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: jack@tmu.edu.tw.
³ International Center for Health Information Technology (ICHIT), College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: sv14.kekade@gmail.com.
⁴ Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; International Center for Health Information Technology (ICHIT), College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: drshabbir@tmu.edu.tw.

Abstract

Most of the communicable diseases have contact, airborne and/or droplet mode of transsmission. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the Taiwan government implemented the use of masks and sanitizer, as well as other preventive measures like social distancing for prevention. This public response likely contributed significantly to the decline in the outbreak of other infectious diseases.

Keywords: COVID-19; Communicable diseases; Coronavirus; Face masks; Sanitizers.

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus*
COVID-19
Communicable Diseases / epidemiology*
Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control*
Hand Disinfection
Humans
Masks
Pandemics / prevention & control*
Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control*
SARS-CoV-2
Taiwan / epidemiology